Probiotics

PROBIOTICS

We are told to take more probiotics, especially after using antibiotics. There are many different products on the market and some are very expensive. How do we know they are doing us any good and should we take more and more pills or capsules or should we investigate alternatives? Today we can also find out how to make and grow our own probiotics.

SUE – Why do we have to take them and what is the best way to restore what is called our gut flora?

For each of our human cells we have 10 microbes that live in the same space. They help us in many ways and when they are wiped out, we get health problems, especially those relating to hormones, vitamins and neurotransmitters. This is because our friendly microbes help us to maintain levels of vitamin B 12, for instance. They are present in the gut, as we know and this is where they break down the food we digest and extract and even manufacture our key hormones, vitamins and enzymes.

We also have large colonies of microbes in other parts of the body, especially the brain. Within the brain, it is the resident microbes that supply our serotonin, dopamine and other feel – good neurotransmitters. This is why we need the raw materials such as vitamin B12 and D3 because without them we experience anxiety, depression, apathy and even autism. You can eat all the right foods, but without a healthy colony of diverse microbes you cannot really be healthy or happy.

References and a lot of interesting articles are provided on our website: www.naturefresh.co.za search box: type in probiotics

SUE – What do you mean by liquid probiotics?

A ) We prefer liquid probiotic strains. These are like seeds that grow in the gut as opposed to a ready-made capsule. They also have a diverse collection of strains – at least 15 that are critically needed by the gut, body and the brain. We destroy them continuously by using electronic equipment, especially being constantly active with twittering and sending messages or being online, linked to a computer for hours on end.

It is not only antibiotics that destroy these microbes. It is also not true that we need only replace the lactobacillus strains. So yogurt alone cannot alleviate your depression or chase away pathogenic microbes. We need at least 10 or more types of microbes. That is why we have a special product cultured for us using 15 different microbes. To that we add selenium to make a potent liquid supplement.

According to researchers of alternative medicine, the future treatments for mental, emotional as well brain and nerve related problems will be based on microbial therapy.

SUE- so why do some doctors insist we only take certain capsules?

A ) They are afraid that the stomach acid nullifies the probiotic. This is not true because the microbes can withstand a pH range of 2 – 13. In the old days we ate fermented foods. Antibiotics and not stomach acid is what destroys our harmful as well as beneficial gut microbes. This includes the action of natural antibiotics, like propolis, oregano, Artemisia or even taking a lot of garlic every day.

A new Q & A from Efficient Microbes answers the most common questions about liquid probiotics

SUE – how can we grow our own probiotics?

By adding 1 teaspoon of the liquid probiotic mixture to a glass of water. Overnight the microbes double up. They can also be added to yoghurt or sauerkraut. You can also break open one of those expensive capsules and mix the contents with a little yoghurt. Leave it in the kitchen and take a little bit from time to time.

•Disorganisation of the gut microbiota can negatively impact on mental health.

•Psychobiotics are probiotics with a potential mental health benefit. (Sue: similar to Nature Fresh probiotic-15)

Abstract

The human gut harbours a dynamic and complex microbial ecosystem, consisting of approximately 1 kg of bacteria in the average adult, approximately the weight of the human brain. The evolutionary formation of a complex gut microbiota in mammals has played an important role in enabling brain development and perhaps sophisticated social interaction. Genes within the human gut microbiota, termed the microbiome, significantly outnumber human genes in the body, and are capable of producing a myriad of neuroactive compounds. Gut microbes are part of the unconscious system regulating behaviour. Recent investigations indicate that these microbes majorly impact on cognitive function and fundamental behavior patterns, such as social interaction and stress management. In the absence of microbes, underlying neurochemistry is profoundly altered. Studies of gut microbes may play an important role in advancing understanding of disorders of cognitive functioning and social interaction, such as autism.